Capsize safety session, August 1st 2021
Quote of the day:
“Never thought that when I got told I had cancer… that 5 years later I would be throwing myself into the river Mersey for fun. Thanks everyone for an enjoyable day”
~ Sue Tennant
Safety on the water and knowing what to do in an emergency is very important when participating in any water sports. A pre-planned capsize gives paddlers confidence and guides them through what to do if the boat gets into difficulty. It is much better to have this knowledge in advance so there would be less panicking in a real-life situation.
Amathus dragon boaters teamed up with Pool of Life for a two boat paddling session where they had arranged various circumstances that could occur when out on the boat. These included paddles, the steering arm and the helm falling into the water (but not all at the same time!).
After the session came two forms of capsize, there were several non-swimmers in the boats who were apprehensive to say the least, but everything went well and the whole session was a great success.
The first capsize was when water flooded the boats until they sank.
The second one involved the boats turning over. This was a bit trickier than the first but everyone coped well with it.
All-in-all it was a very useful, informative morning and all who attended were pleased they had taken part.
